SHORELINE In an intensely competitive district championship meet May 18, there were pleasant surprises and heartbreaking disappointments for M-P athletes in a competition that sent the top three finishers to state competition in Pasco.
The Tomahawks had three individual district champions in the finals meet May 18.
After finishing the district preliminary meet in second, junior sprinter Nicolette Runyan won the 100 two days later, almost a stride ahead of the second place finisher, in 12.67 seconds.
She was joined in distinction by sophomore thrower Fono Vakalahi, who didnt need a personal best to defeat Shorewood standout Kelley Neubauer for first in the discus. His winning throw of 151-07 was a foot better than second place.
Despite their victories, Runyan and Vakalahi both narrowly missed taking a second individual event to state Runyan finished fourth in the 200 finals and Vakalahi took fourth in the shot put, ending their seasons in those events.
Though edged by Runyan in the 200 much of the season, freshman sprinter Alisha Oden won the 200 finals with a time just a sliver of a hair over 26 seconds.
Senior jumper Duane LaPeyri took third in the boys high jump with a 6-0 jump, moving on in competition. Another senior, Kenny York, moves on as well. His javelin throw of 175-4 put him in second place. Though he continues on, York finished about 10 feet short of the school record he broke this season.
I got second, 175, the very competitive York said. Im kind of bummed. I didnt do what I wanted to do, he added, attributing the second-place finish to his relative inexperience in the event.
Three relays will extend the season for a few more Marysville athletes.
Less than three-tenths of a second separated the first-place Cascade and third-place M-P boys 4×100 relay teams that continue on to state. The event keeps the season alive for Josh Rabung, Jonathan Jorgensen and Andy Abadam, who had competed individually in the 200 and long jump this season.
Oden and Runyan were part of first- and second-place relays in the May 18 competition as well. Senior Megan Crenshaw and junior Haley Nemra joined them in the district champion girls 4×400 relay, defeating all comers with a 4:04.07 finish. Runyan, Crenshaw and Oden combined with freshman Cali Cull for a narrow second-place finish to Snohomish in the girls 4×100 relay, finishing in 50.34.
When the stadium paused to honor the girls 100 runners, including Runyan who took first, Oden was among the Tomahawks cheering on her relay teammate. The favor was returned when Oden took first in the 200. For M-P track coach Randy Davis, their friendship is a microcosm for the team dynamic.
One of the strengths of our team has always been that the kids really support each other. There is competitiveness between kids, but they understand that, If I get better youll get better and vice versa. They understand that if we all suffer together, we all get better together, Davis said.
Another handful of Tomahawk athletes finished one or two places out of qualification, ending their seasons in the event. Junior pole vaulter Robin Mueller followed a 10-3 qualifying jump with another 10-3 in district competition, landing in fourth place. Two spots ahead of her was teammate Michaela Caldwell, whose 10-9 jump sends her to state and broke personal and M-P school records. Kamiak senior Taylor Fjeran won the event, clearing 11-0.
(Caldwell) took it up a couple inches more, from 10-7 to 10-9. We hope that next year those two girls, Robin and Michaela, push it up over 11 and stay there all year long, Davis said. Last year Robin went to state, this year Michaela went. Hopefully next year we can send them both.
Like Mueller, junior high jumper Jade Hanson was another near miss for M-P, taking fourth in the high jump with a best mark of 5-1. A 5-2 jump, which she has registered in previous competition, would have put tied her with Snohomishs Jessica Yates and potentially stamped her ticket for Pasco.
Jades kind of a hard-luck story. Its not like she jumped poorly, she jumped well. Shes been fourth place (at districts) for three years in a row. Fourth place at districts is nothing to be ashamed of, but shes been there too many times for her, added Davis.
Sophomore hurdler Alex McDonald took fourth in the 100 hurdles in 16.37 and fifth in the 300 hurdles. She shaved a half second off her 300 hurdles qualifying time, finishing in 48.37.
Senior pole vaulter Justin King jumped 12-6, good for fifth in his event.
In the long jump, LaPeyri and Abadam took fourth and fifth respectively with jumps of 21-4 and 20-7. LaPeyris mark was less than an inch out of third place and state contention.
Cull and senior Nancy Couls were just a couple inches apart at fifth and sixth in the triple jump. Couls edged her teammate, 34-11 to 34-9. The mark to beat for state competition was 35-7 by Lake Stevens Britany Aanstad.
Junior Joel Erickson took sixth in the boys shot put, throwing exactly 47 feet.
Tracks a weird sport where you dont stop, you just fade away, Davis said, reflecting on the M-P postseason. Most of the seniors are still around for another week.
But the two-day competition also marked the end for a couple seniors.
One might be Myranda Dudgeon in the javelin, Davis said. She finishes well up on our school honor roll list. Shes been out there for four years and she made herself a good, quality high school javelin player. You never want to see them end. She got about as much out of it as she could this year.
We have a few seniors like that, you just hate the fact that youre not going to work with them anymore, he added.